Crime drop a testament to good police work

Give Rocky Mount police a considerable amount of credit. At a time of great economic challenge, with unemployment on the rise and plenty of reasons for crime to increase as well, violent crime is actually down 9 percent, and robberies are down 20 percent.

There have been seven homicides in Rocky Mount this year, compared to 13 at the same time last year. And police have raised awareness about their efforts through the E Policing Alert system, a daily e-mail that tells recipients exactly what police have responded to and investigated in the past 24 hours.

Those would be significant accomplishments in any year. The fact that they have come on the heels of the worst recession since the 1930s makes the police department’s progress all the more commendable.

As reported this week by Telegram staff writer Mike Hixenbaugh, Rocky Mount Police Chief John Manley credits the community, as well as the stepped-up efforts of his department. With increased neighborhood watch efforts, police have a city of allies in their war on crime. The more we continue to look out for one another, the safer our community will be.

There’s more good news in the department’s arrest records. The Street Engagement Team has made great headway in bringing charges against repeat offenders. Putting away those kinds of punks reduces crime considerably, since so many break-ins and other offenses are committed over and over by a small group of people.

Rocky Mount police have drawn their share of criticism, especially in the anonymous, online community. Part of that may be traced to efforts such as E Policing Alerts, which, ironically, raise awareness of crime and perhaps give folks the idea that there is more of it here than there should be for a city of Rocky Mount’s size.

But that’s a far cry better than living in a city where police under-report what’s happening. As Manley told Hixenbaugh, one homicide is too many, but the efforts of the police department continue to make Rocky Mount safer than some people would have us think.